Page 48 of Pack Kasen: Part 2

Aren hangs up without so much as a goodbye. He tucks the cell phone into my pocket and hauls me into his arms.

I grunt as I thump against rock-hard abs, and he wraps his arms tight around me.

“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice muffled by his T-shirt.

“Comforting my mate.”

I ask myself why I’m not shoving myself out of his grip even as I continue to stand within it. It might have something to do with how good it feels to be in it. “I don’t need comforting.”

His mouth brushes the top of my head. “I know. Just humor me, will you?”

I tilt my head up to look at him. “Is that a joke?”

He squeezes me. “Maybe. If I were to kiss you?” His eyes dip to my mouth.

My belly tightens in response to his heated gaze, but I maintain a blank expression. “Would result in my knee in a sensitive place or my claws in your belly. Haven’t worked out which yet. I might surprise you.”

His eyes crinkle with a smile. “I thought as much. Hence the hug.” He sweeps his gaze over my face, and I realize then that his shock hug and threat to kiss me chased away the shock of Rachel’s news.

I can think straight now.

Aren must realize I’m okay for him to ask, “You ready to go hunting, Kitty cat?”

Those words have my wolf sitting up. “Hunting what?”

“Come on.” He threads his fingers with mine and leads the way to the house. “It’s time to do something I should have done before now.”

I flinch when Aren throws his head back and howls.

I’m even more alarmed when five men and one woman come running from all directions.

“Boss?”

“Alpha?”

“Where’s the fire?”

“What’s going on?”

He resumes leading me into the house. “Meeting. We have a problem that needs solving, and I need all your brightest ideas.”

14

AREN

“Someone is killing all the men close to Kat,” I say.

My enforcers look at me, then turn to Kat, who is sitting in the chair beside me in my office.

Emilio clears his throat. “So, uh, this meeting is a goodbye before someone takes you out? Where’s the cake?”

Kat turns her head aside, though not before I catch one corner of her mouth lift in a tiny smile.

I’m getting sick of those beautiful smiles.

Everyone gets one.

Even Finan was on the receiving end of one of those smiles.

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